Green Beans with Bacon, Onion and Almonds

I made these green beans for Thanksgiving. I haven't worked very much with fresh green beans. Mom always made them, but for some reason I never really did. These were easy and came out great! The recipe is from Cook's Illustrated November 1996 (the America's Test Kitchen people.) The almonds are my addition.

This rich dish is a nice addition to a holiday table. If you like, substitute pancetta for the bacon.

1 pound green beans, stem ends snapped off.
table salt
4 strips bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium onion, minced
Ground black Pepper
sliced almonds

1. Bring 2 1/2 quarts of water to boil in large saucepan. Add green beans and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook beans until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside for up to several hours.

2. Fry bacon over medium heat in large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Remove all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat from pan. Add onion to fat in skillet' saute until softened and golden, about 5 minutes.

3. Add beans and almonds to pan. Toss to heat through for 1 to 2o minutes. Crumble bacon over pan, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6